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Thursday, October 3, 2013

The topical antifungal agent
Ciclopirox eradicates HIV by promoting infected cells to effectively commit
suicide, and it does not lead to viral rebound after the therapy is stopped,
according to U.S. News and World Report. Reporting their findings in PLOS ONE,
researchers studied how, in a laboratory setting, Ciclopirox affected
HIV-infected H9 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with
clinical HIV isolates.

One of the reasons HIV manages to
endure in the body even in the face of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy is because
the virus blocks cells’ natural mechanism for instigating their own demise in
the event they are damaged or infected. The scientists found that Ciclopirox
fought the virus by inhibiting the expression of certain HIV genes and also
interfering with the cells’ mitochondria, undoing HIV’s inhibition of the
suicide mechanism.

Uninfected cells were not affected
by the treatment. Also, once Ciclopirox was terminated, the virus did not
rebound as it would after stopping ordinary ARVs.

Because Ciclopirox is already
approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an antifungal, the process of
moving into human trials for an HIV-fighting capacity should be much more
efficient. There is a possibility the drug may prove useful as a topical
application to reduce the risk of sexual transmission of the virus.

The discovery of a new HIV replication route may eventually
lead to advancements in antiretroviral (ARV) therapy and attempts to eradicate
the virus. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Virology, researchers
investigated the phenomenon that more than 90 percent of HIV fails to integrate
its DNA into human cells, leaving unintegrated viral DNA in the cell.
(Integration is a key component of the HIV lifecycle; integrase inhibitors
attack the virus at this juncture.) In the past, researchers have assumed that
these stranded viruses could not copy themselves.

But as the scientists discovered, some of this unintegrated
virus is able to skip the integration process and still reproduce itself,
producing new viruses that can in turn infect other cells.

“Although this is not the virus’s main method for
replicating, having this option available can help HIV survive,” the study’s
lead researcher, David N. Levy, PhD, associate professor of basic science and
craniofacial biology at the New York University College of Dentistry, said in a
release. “These new findings suggest one mechanism by which HIV may be
surviving in the face of antiviral drugs, and suggests new avenues for research
into eliminating infection.”

Levy’s team also discovered that these unintegrated viruses
can survive in human cells for weeks, providing themselves a kind of cover
against ARVs and other natural immune responses.

The highest court for the U.S. armed forces has
agreed to hear the appeal of a Kansas airman convicted of assault for exposing
multiple sex partners to HIV at swinger parties in Wichita, his attorney said
Friday.

David
Gutierrez was a sergeant serving at McConnell Air Force base in Kansas when he
was sentenced in 2011 to eight years in prison and stripped of his rank in an
aggravated assault case. Prosecutors told the trial judge that a stiff sentence
would send a message that the military values the integrity of its service
members, saying Gutierrez played Russian roulette with his sexual partners'
lives.

The defense on appeal has won a rare opportunity
to present before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces an argument
that his attorney says could set a far-reaching precedent across the military.

"It will set the table for the entire
military services as to what kind of evidence is necessary to find that someone
can cause grievous bodily injury after testing positive for HIV," said
Kevin McDermott, one of his defense attorneys.

In addition to the HIV issue, the military
appeals court agreed Tuesday to decide whether the evidence was sufficient to
find Gutierrez committed adultery. The defense contends Gutierrez can't be
guilty of adultery because his wife participated with her husband in the
"swinger's lifestyle."

The appeals court, essentially the military
equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court, takes fewer than 5 percent of petitions
submitted to it, McDermott said.

A military judge in Wichita found Gutierrez
guilty in January 2011 on seven of eight counts of aggravated assault and of
violating his commander's order to notify partners about his HIV status and use
condoms. The judge also convicted Gutierrez of indecent acts for having sex in
front of others and of eight counts of adultery.

Prosecutors did not immediately respond to an
email Friday seeking comment.

The Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed
the conviction in March 2013, and the defense appealed to the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Armed Forces.

In its petition, the defense argued that the
evidence was not sufficient to prove Gutierrez was HIV positive. The test used
has since been recalled by the Food and Drug Administration because it was
susceptible to false reactions.

His attorneys also said that even if Gutierrez
had HIV, his medical records showed his viral load was so low during that time
that he had a "zero chance" of infecting anyone through oral sex and
a 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000 chance of infecting a partner through unprotected
intercourse.

"If the court agrees with us and determines
David was not infected to the point that he could have caused grievous bodily
injury to others, this would gut substantially 90 percent of the case against
David," McDermott said.

The case has not yet been set for oral arguments
and no decision is expected until the summer of 2014.

The city’s agency assisting low-income people with HIV and
AIDS is looking for help in paying for its clients’ ­costs of living — from the
family members and other people who live with them.

This month, the city HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA)
issued a rule requiring all household members living with people receiving
benefits from the agency to sign up to participate in a work program. The city
projects the move will save about $3 million in the coming year.

In July 2013, more than 30,000 New Yorkers living with HIV
or AIDS were receiving HASA benefits. Those with families were entitled to
extra benefits, such as increased rental assistance or more food stamps. In
all, 11,400 household members get such aid. VOCAL-NY, an advocacy group that
works with people with HIV/AIDS, estimates that between 10 to 20 percent of
these are of working age and were not required to participate in any work
program — until now.

If someone living in the household refuses to work or
participate in a training program, an HIV/AIDS client may see cuts in his or
her aid. But those who work for pay can expect to be penalized too: As noted in
a City Council analysis earlier this year, when the family member is already
working, “cases will be re-calculated to reflect the additional income.”
Benefits, such as rental assistance, could be decreased as a result. HASA
clients currently get between $300 and $1,500 a month in rent subsidies.

In addition, some people with HIV/AIDS may no longer be
entitled to what the agency calls “intensive case management,” which often
includes home care and mental health and substance abuse treatment.

A spokesperson for HRA indicated the administration isbringing its HIV/AIDS Services program in
compliance with longstanding state rules, and that it would be in each family’s
best interest to encourage adult members capable of working to do so.

Terri Smith-Caronia, a Housing Works’ vice president, said
that the new rule could damage relationships among family members whose
benefits are cut. “They are cash- strapped, looking for nickels and dimes,” she
said. “The only way to save money is to kick people out. You keep your savings
by disrupting households.”

“Our issue is the punitive aspect of the policy,” said Jason
Walker, a VOCAL-NY community organizer and coordinator of the New York HIV/AIDS
Housing Advocacy Network. “A HASA client would be penalized because of what
someone else [in the household] may or may not be doing.”

In March, Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner
Robert Doar said that HASA, a division of HRA, would be reaching out soon to
clients whose children are now adults and require them, when appropriate, to
take part in the agency’s employment programs.

In July, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Annabel
Palma, chair of the Council’s general welfare committee, expressed concern that
the new rule might result in “improper reductions” of benefits.

While the council asked HASA to explain how clients will be
assessed and how exemptions will be determined, the agency hasn’t offered any
clarification. Palma’s office said it would wait to see how the rule is
affecting HASA clients before taking further action.

Affected household members will be given the opportunity to
present evidence of barriers to employment such as physical or mental health
issues, according to HRA. The evidence will then be evaluated according to
state guidelines on a case-by-case basis.

An alarming number of hypodermic
needles and drug paraphernalia showing up in Olympia playgrounds and parks have
parents concerned. A poke puts their children at risk for HIV or Hepatitis.

“It’s a horrible risk you shouldn’t
have to face when you ride a bike or play in the playground,” said Jessica Archer,
a parent.

One of Archer’s young sons recently
had a close call while riding his bike.

“He crashed and he was just a couple
inches from a dirty needle, a couple inches,” she said.

Area pediatricians are seeing an
increased number of patients saying they were poked by syringes.

“Used needles in a park often mean
drug use so there’s blood, there’s all sorts of concerns of a needle poke,”
said Dr. Sara Murdoch of Pediatrics Olympia.

Dr. Murdoch has seen a spike in
incidents the last few months, including two patients in one day who both
tested negative for HIV and Hepatitis. While there’s a low chance of infection,
Dr. Murdoch says the ordeal is agonizing for parents.

“The exposure, the waiting and the
not knowing,” said Dr. Murdoch.

“Our community is being put at risk
by people right now and it’s not ok,” said Archer.

Complaints at places like Bigelow
Park have promoted action by the city. Park Rangers have upped patrols and have
started a tracking system.

Since Mid-August, 207 hypodermic
needles and 107 drug paraphernalia items have been picked up from outdoor areas
and safely discarded.

City park officials have also formed
a partnership with Olympia Police called the “Downtown Response Team” to fight
the problem.

“It could be anyone’s kid and we
shouldn’t have to be on high alert for syringes, we just shouldn’t,” said
Archer.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Scientists researching a cure
for HIV have projected that a cure could be available in 18 to 24 months. The
researchers were working on two natural compounds––prostatin and
bryostatin––that they reproduced in the laboratory for medical purposes.
Prostratin comes from the bark of the Samoan mamala tree. Paul Cox, an
ethnobotanist and director of the Institute of Ethnomedicine in Wyoming, heard
of the bark from a Samoan healer. Paul Wender, a chemist from California’s
Stanford University, found in experiments with prostratin that it flushed out
the virus from cells where it was hiding. Drugs are able to kill the virus when
it is in the open, but not when it is hiding in cells. When patients stopped
taking their medication, the virus resurfaced and quickly multiplied.

Wender was able to recreate the drug and design new variants and has made it
100 times more powerful than that obtained from the tree. The AIDS Research
Alliance (ARA), a Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for AIDS,
is developing prostratin. Dr. Stephen Brown, medical director of ARA, stated
that the organization was two thirds of the way through necessary experiments
before the drug would be ready for market. Researchers had performed initial
tests on animals and now were conducting tests on blood from AIDS patients who
had been on immunosuppressive therapy.
Bryostatin, a compound that comes from a sea creature called bryozoa, also has
healing qualities. It was discovered by Robert Pettit, a University of Arizona
chemistry professor. Wender created bryostatin variants 1,000 times more
powerful at flushing HIV from cells than prostratin. However, additional work
is necessary before it could be considered a successful drug candidate.
The National Institutes of Health is helping to fund Wender’s research.
The study was presented before the 246th American Chemical Society National
Meeting, September 8–12, in Indianapolis, Ind.

The US Senate Aging Committee heard
testimony on September 18, the sixth annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging
Awareness Day, from five witnesses testifying about the challenges facing aging
HIV-infected people. Witnesses noted that states with large aging HIV-infected
populations experienced greater impact than other states. According to Kenneth
Miller, executive director of Maine’s Down East AIDS Network, older
HIV-infected people who lived in rural areas faced complicated health issues,
including lack of access to medical care and mental health treatment.

Miller stated that older, rural
patients also isolated themselves because of stigma against those who were gay
and had HIV. Other difficulties specific to rural HIV-infected people included
transportation to physician’s appointments and lack of access to social support
networks. Miller recommended ways to improve the system of care, including
awareness and outreach. He advised that this population was vulnerable to
depression and might not have access to mental health screening and care.

Although treatment advances had
extended life expectancy for HIV patients, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
cautioned older Americans not to stereotype HIV as a young person’s disease.
Older Americans also were vulnerable to HIV and should “exercise the same kind
of care” if they were engaging in high-risk behaviors.

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The Friends of AIDS Foundation is a volunteer driven organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.